Kuwait has reportedly expressed readiness to provide guarantees, jointly with the United States, to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to ensure that “no harm is caused by Qatar”. The guarantee offer is part of the efforts exerted by Kuwait to mediate in one of the worst crises to hit the Gulf and to prepare for direct dialogue between the Quartet and Qatar, Kuwaiti daily Al Rai reported on Wednesday.

Kuwait has been pushing for mediation that would bring the two sides together. The crisis broke out on June 5 when the Quartet severed their diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremists and funding terrorism. A first mediation effort ended without visible progress, and the two sides, while acknowledging the significance of the Kuwaiti role, did not budge from their positions.

A second drive was launched by Kuwait when envoys of Amir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah on Monday and Tuesday visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Oman, the UAE and Bahrain to deliver missives to their leaders.

Al Rai cited Gulf diplomatic sources as saying there were “breakthroughs on the horizon within the positive atmosphere that marked the five visits by the Kuwaiti envoys, the minister of foreign affairs and the state minister for cabinet affairs”. “The atmosphere of the meetings was very positive and Kuwait is keen to build on common elements to launch a direct dialogue between Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt on one side and Qatar on the other.”

The officials who received the Kuwaiti envoys affirmed their support to the efforts by Shaikh Sabah, stressing that the Kuwaiti mediation was the only one that is viable and likely to succeed, the officials added.